Rotary air compressor



Jan. 9, 1951 F. B. YINGLING ROTARY AIR COMPRESSOR 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 14, 1944 INVENTOR.

Jan. 9,V 1951 F. B. YINGLING 2,537,502

ROTARY AIR COMPRESSOR Filed Dec. 14,v 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F. B. YlNGLlNG ROTARY AIR COMPRESSOR Jan. 9, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Deo. 14, 1944 11W/EN TOR.

Jan. 9, 1951 v F, B, YlNGLlNG v 2,537,502

ROTARY AIR COMPRESSOR Filed Deo. 14, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 BY m @mda jay.

Patented Jan. 9, 1951 f l f ROTARY' AIR :COMPRESSOR -I Frank B. Yingiing, namntomohio l Y Application December 14, 1944, Serial No. 568,106

4 claims. (ci. 23e- 154) This invention relates to an improved rotary air compressor of the type utilizing a ported rotary cylinder containing an offset or ecccntrically arranged rotor, which together form a crescent shaped compression chamber, with multiple vanes pivotally mounted on the exterior of the rotor and rotatable therewith in the chamber for cornpressing air. In each cycle of the compressor the vanes are extended from the rotor to create suction, and retracted or folded toward and upon the rotor for compressing air, Yor other fluid; and co-acting operating means are employed for simultaneously rotating the ported cylinder and the rotor with its vanes, at desired speeds.

Y While the compressor here illustrated 'is particularly designed and primarily adapted for supplying air or gas under pressure, it will be understood that the invention may also be embodied in vacuum pumps, or compressors for other uses where a smooth flow of currents without substantial-pulsations, is desired.

For insuring a smooth owing'air stream with maximum capacity, the compressor is capable of operating at high speeds, with a minimum amount of friction and consequent wear on the carried by the rotor, for transferring and compressing air from the inlet compartment through the compression chamber to and through the outlet compartment of the housing. And, further, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts for accomplishing the above mentioned functions, as will be set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical em-- bodiment of the preferred form of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged according to one mode I have devised for the practical application of the principles of my in vention. Changes and alterations may be made in these exemplifying drawings, as indicated for instance in thetwo accompanying modifications,- within the scope of my claims, Without departing. from the principlesl of the invention Figure' l is a tcp pian view of an air compressori constructed according to my invention showing hy dotted lines the relation of the interior worlb'f Figure 2 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view` through. the compressor, as atv line 2-2 ofv Fig.'1

1, showing a portion of the compression'chamber and the complementary intake port and inlet compartment, and a broken portion of the rotary cylinder with one of its supporting roller bearings shown in, dotted Figure 3 is a vertical central sectional View of the compressor as at line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View at '.lne #-4 orFig. 1 showing the lateral air intake porti and inlet compartment to the compression cham-k ber, together with the differential lateral delivery port. i .4

Figures d and 6 form a composite View, and illustratethe construction, by half-sections, or

the'opp-osite endsy of the rotary cylinder.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic illustration, showing hy arrows the flow of air through the lateralinv take port and inlet compartment to the compres sion chamber, and the now of vcompressed air from the compression chamber through the dife ferential outlet. compartment and delivery port, of the compressor. i

Figure 8 is a'view similar to Fig. 4 with a modifed arrangement of the ports between the inlet compartment and the compression chamber.

, Figure 9 is a View similar to Fig. 8 with a iure ther modied form of rotor, and arrangement of, the ports.

In the form of the invention illustrated in'Fig-f urcs l through 6, an exterior cylindrical housing l is employed and provided with fixed end-plates 2, 3, and-Seawhich plates are fashioned in desired. form and shape, and rigidly bolted to the housing tc accommodate the interior working parts. of the compressor; and suitable brackets, as B, provide a supporting base for the appliance. For a clear understanding of the flow of air through the compressor, in the diagram of Figure` 7', the arrows indicate that air enters the compresser through lateral` intake port 4, passes'v through .an inlet compartment 5 formed within let compartment E within the end-plate 3a, and the compressed air flows outwardly through the lateral delivery port 'I of the housing.

Within the cylindrical housing of the compressor is mounted a stator, including two spaced, rigid, frames or structures, one bolted to each of the end-plates 2 and 3, and each of the spaced frames includes a circular disk, as 8 and 9, which disks form the opposite end walls or stator walls of the interior crescent-shaped compression chamber C of the compressor. As best seen in Figures l and 3, these stator walls or plates are inwardly spaced from the complementary endplates of the housing; and at their lowermost portions the periphery of each stator wall is cut out to form an open outlet port, as i0, and an inlet port as II.

Concentrically with the interior of the cylindrical housing is mounted a rotary cylinder, the bore or annular wall I2 of which forms the outer circular portion of the crescent-shaped compression chamber C, and the respective end-walls I3 and I4 of this cylinder are located in the spaces between the end-plate 2 and stator disk 8, and between the end-plate 3 and complementary stator wall 9. Y

' As best seen in Figures 3, 5, and 6, each end wall of the cylinder, adjoining its outer periphery, is-cut out, leaving a number of spaced, radial arms I5, and between the adjoining arms of the endwalls are formed segmental ports I6 at the inlet end'o the cylinder, and dual ports II at the outlet or discharge end of the cylinder.

In Fig. 3 it will be seen that ports I6 register with stationary ports II of the stator wall 9 to establish communication between the inlet compartment andthe crescent-shaped compression chamber C; and the rotating ports I'I register with stationary ports I0 of the stator wall 9 to afford communication between the chamber C and the outlet compartment or compressed air compartment E of the housing.

The rotary cylinder is journaled in spaced roller bearings I8 and i9, the former mounted on an exterior annular ,bearing ilange projecting outwardlyirom theend-wall I3 of the cylinder, and the latter bearing mounted on an exterior annular'flange 2I projecting outwardly from the opposite end-wall I4 of the cylinder. The ange 2i terminates as shown, in an external gear ring 22 located within and enclosed by the hollow endplate 3a of the housing.

VThis gear ring 22 forms the driven member of an operating train of gears for the cylinder, to which power is transmitted from an offset or eccentrically located drive shaft 23 journaled in spaced ball-bearings 24, 24, arranged at opposite ends of the housing and enclosed within its end plates.

From a drive gear 25, which is keyed to the shaft 23, the gear ring 22 lis driven through the operating train including a small pinion 25 and an integral stepped up gear 2'I, which are journaled as a unit on bearings 28 mounted on the shaft 29 disposed parallel with the drive shaft 23V and'mounted in' seats of the plates 3 and 3a at one end of the housing. The train of operating gears is timed with a suitable ratio between the rotary clinder and the drive shaft, and with relation to the rotor 30 that rotates with the shaft.

v The eccentrically arranged rotor is oiset from the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft and this cylindrical rotor, together with the enclosing cylindex- Y form the crescent shaped compression chamber C of the appliance. The rotor is rigidly mounted on the shaft 23 with complementary packed bearing bushings 3i, and 32 of the stator walls 8 and 9 and tubular bosses on the endheads of the rotor. The rotary cylinder and the smaller, oiset rotor, are thus simultaneously rotated, indirectly and directly, from the drive shaft, in the same direction, and at desired speed.

At four diametrically arranged points of the rotor 3i) are fashioned exterior longitudinally extending peripheral grooves 33, which are open at their opposite ends through the heads of the closed cylindrical rotor, and four curved vanes 34, of thin flexible steel are pivoted or journaled to oscillateV in these grooves through the instrumentality of integral tubular longitudinally extending pivot-heads 35. The free ends of the vanes are designed to ride in close Contact with and along the interior cylindrical face or bore of the rotary cylinder i2, and thus seal the vacuum sides of the vanes from the front or pressure sides of the vanes as they travel through the crescent shaped compression chamber. As indicated by the various positions of the vanes in Figure 4 they are designed to swing outwardly from the rotor on the pivot heads 35 as centers, and to be retracted or folded inwardly upon the annular exterior surface of the rotor with the sealing edges or ends 3S adapted, when the vane is folded, to seat in longitudinally extending surface sockets or grooves 31 of the rotor.

In operation, the simultaneous rotation of the cylinder and the enclosed offset rotor with its selfeadjusting, thin, flexible and resilient blades or varies, causes the initially opening vanes to sweep upwardly and outwardly from the supporting rotor along the gradually increasing and communicatingports II of the stator wall 9 and the cylinder ports I E. This movement of the varies induces an airstre'am from the large intake port 4, through the inlet compartment 5, and into the intake end of the crescent shaped compression chamber' C. At their front or pressure sides, the Wide swinging varies sweep the trapped air forward through the chamber, while a vacuum condition is' created at the rear sides of the vanes. This continuous vacuum condition being created at the rear of the multiple vanes insures the induction and supply of a constant and uniform air stream to the compression chamber.

v The advancing vanes slide in close frictional contact with the spaced stator walls, and the front edges of the curved vanes ride in frictional engagement with the bore of the cylinder, thus sealing the trapped air in successive pockets against leakage, or back pressure, within the compression chamber.

i As the moving varies advance through the upper, largest area of the crescent-shaped compression chamber the trapped air in the successive air-tight pockets is then forced into the decreasing space toward the outlet side of the compression chamber, thus causing a reduction in the volume of air, and compressing the successive charges as they ilow into the outlet compartment 6. `-During the descent Aof4 the moving vanes through the decreasing area of the outlet side of the compression chamber, and as they pass across the port Iii' of the stator 8, the vanes are positively folded, by sliding Contact with the inner bore of the cylinder, toward inactive position. In this inactive position the vanes pass through, and close, the short arc between the bottom of the rotor and the inner face of the cylinder bore, thus separating the two sides of the compression chamber and preventing back pressure of air from the outlet side toward the intake side of the compressor.

As thus constructed the compressor is economical in manufacture, durable, and the operating parts which are compactly arranged and simplified in construction, are not likely to become deranged in operation; and further, the co-acting parts are effective in the performance of their functions.

While I have shown the rotor equipped with four swing-ing vanes of proper size to clear each other and permit automatic and maximum opening movement, and to retract or fold under pressure from the rotating cylinder against their free edges; it will be understood that the number of vanes may be Varied to suit different requirements in construction and operation, as well asin the different -uses for which the compressor is designed.

Other changes and alterations in the construction and operation of the compressor are contemplated, as for instance in Figure 8 where the stator Wall is omitted for simplicity of construction. Here the end wall 98 of the cylinder I2 is fashioned with ports 39 disposed in an annular series and extending from a point adjacent the central part of the cylinder to its outer periphery, and the inlet compartment 5a is enlarged accordingly, and bounded by a partition 40 shown in dotted lines. Like the previously mentioned ports I0 and I1 of the rotary cylinder, the ports 39 are successively opened as they move up past the inlet compartment 50,; closed as they pass between the pairs of adjoining stator walls and endwalls of the housing; and are again opened as they descend past the outlet compartment 6.

In Figure 9 a modied form of rotor 4l is illustrated having a center air inlet and compressed air outlet and fashioned with an offset partition 42 which forms a large capacity intake chamber 43, and a smaller area outlet chamber 44, each having a circumferential port as 45 and46.

In both Figures 8 and 9 the arrows indicate the movement of a stream of air from the intake port 4 at one side of the housing l to the delivery port 'l at the opposite side of the housing.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an air compressor, the combination with a xed housing having spaced intake and outlet compartments, a ported cylinder rotatably mounted in the housing and forming an intermediate compression chamber, a gear ring rigid with the cylinder, a drive shaft extending through the cylinder, spaced eccentric bearings in the housing for said shaft and a drive gear on the shaft, a rotor rigid with the shaft, movable impellers mounted on the rotor, and operating gears Ibetween the drive gear and gear ring.

2. In an air compressor of the rotary, oscillating vane type, the combination with a housing having an intake port and a laterally spaced reduced outlet port, of a concentric cylinder mounted Within the housing and having end ports for communication with said intake and outlet ports, a rotary impeller mounted within the cylinder to form a compression chamber, an eccentric operating shaft journaled in the housing extending through the cylinder and rigid with the impeller, and a train of gears operatively connecting said shaft with the cylinder.

3. In an air compressor of the rotary, oscillating vane type, the combination with a housing having laterally spaced inlet and outlet ports, a concentric cylinder mounted in the housingand forming a compression chamber, said cylinder having end ports for communication with said intake and outlet ports, an eccentrically arranged drive shaft journaled in bearings of the housing,

an impeller located in the cylinder and rigid With ,Y

the shaft, and a train of operating gears within the housing connecting the shaft and cylinder.

4. In an air compressor of the rotary, oscillating vane type, the combination with a xed housing having laterally spaced inlet and outlet ports, and a cylinder rotatable in the housing and forming a compression chamber, said cylinder having end ports, for co-action with said intake and outlet ports, of a drive shaft journaled in the housing and eccentrically arranged bearings for said shaft, a cylindrical impeller rigid with the shaft and located in the ported cylinder, a longitudinal partition within the impeller forming intake and outlet chambers open to the compression chamber, and a train of gears within the housing operatively connecting said shaft and ported cylinder.

FRANK B. YINGLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,000,316 Alexander Aug. 8, 1911 1,010,388 Kirby NOV. 28, 1911 1,146,545 Aurand July 13, 1915 1,197,579 Jackson Sept. 5, 1916 1,253,460 Bodge Jan. l5, 1918 1,291,520 Hoere Jan. 14, 1919 1,364,246 Carey Jan. 4, 1921 1,842,829 Gregg Jan. 26, 1932 1,886,206 Mandler Nov; 1, 1932 

